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C. SERRA.

RECEIVING STATION FOR MESSAGE SHELLS. APPLICATION mib snm?. m2o.

Patented Dee. 28,1920.

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PATENT OFFICE.

CARLO SERRA, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

RECEIVING-STATION FOR MESSAGE-SHELLS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 28, 1920.

Application filed September 27, 1920. Serial No. 413,219.

larly a receiving station adapted to receivey shells of the type shown in my copending application Serial No. 351,710, filed January 15, 1920.

In the application referred to I have described a shell having entangling pins thereon to entangle and suspend the shell at the receiving station.

The present invention has for its objects the provision of a receiving station of such character that the surface thereof will yield to the shock of impact of the received shell and also present a surface which will entangle certain entangling means on the shell so that thereafter the projectile will depend from the forward face of the receiving station in position to be accessible to the recipients.

Another object of the present invention resides in the provision of a receiving station of such character that portions thereof can be rebuilt without tearing down the entire structure.

Other objects will be set forth in detail in the accompanying specification and shown in the drawing in which:

The figure represents the receiving station with a number of shells entangled thereat and a shell in flight thereto.

In more detail: The message shell 13 is projected from a cannon at the sending .station which cannon may be of any desired form, utilizing powder for propulsion of the shell or other motive fluid. The shell has entangling pins 14C thereon.

The receiving station comprises a wall or supporting structure 16 forming a support for a series of spring buffers 17. In front of the spring buffer is a plate 18 to which is attached a cushion or mattress 19. Spaced forwardly from the cushion are vertical rods 20. To the front and the rear of the rods 2() are a series of superimposed blocks 21 made up of felt, wool or other suitable fiber interspersed with wire netting 22 which retain the mass of felt cushion material together and make the block more resistant to the passage of a shell therethrough. The blocks 21 are retained in position by clips 23 which are slidably mounted on rods 20. The construction described permits the removal of blocks which possibly may be so badly damaged by the impact of shells as to Ibe worthless: The blocks can be independently removed so as to permit the rebuilding of portions of the receiving station without tearing down the entire structure.

Passing through the blocks 21 from front to rear are a series of cords 24 made up of braided linenor other suitable cord woven with wire. The cords are fastened in any suitable manner at the rear face of the rear blocks 21 and at the front face are frayed out so as to form a series of depending tassels 25.

It will be understood that elements 17, 18, 19 and 21 as a whole form a resilient cushion or buffer at the receiving station to bring the shell to rest without fracturing or injuring the same.

The shells approach the forward face of the receiving station with a combined movement of translation and rotation, and the rotation movement of the shell causes the entangling pins or projections 14 to become entangled in the depending tassels 25. Thereafter the shell is brought to` rest by the cushioned baille device and finally the shells are suspended from the depending tassels as shown in Fig. 1. The shells can then be removed by the recipients and the messages or mail matter therein removed by the removal of a rear closure. This is effected by means of a Spanner or other suitable tool.

That I claim is:

1. A receiving station for a message shell comprising a buffer device having entangling cords depending from the forward face thereof adapted to entangle and support a message shell upon contact therewith.

2. A receiving station for message shells comprising a supporting structure, a series of spring buffers supported thereby, a backing plate, a cushion, a plurality of blocks of resilient material having supporting lwires therein to prevent the disintegration of the material of which the blocks are formed, and a plurality of cords passing horizontally through said blocks and having depending tassels in front of said blocks for entangling the shells When received.

3. A receiving station for message shells comprising in combination a backing plate, a cushion, a plurality of blocks oi resilient material and having a plurality of cords passing therethrough and having depending tassels in front of said blocks for entangling the shells when received.

4;. The invention set forth in claim 8 in Which means is rovided for supporting the blocks in position, said means having provisions to permit the removaly oi one or more blocks Without disturbing adjacent blocks.

5. A receiving station for message shells comprising a supporting structure, a series of blocks of resilient material carried thereby, reinforcing Wires therein to prevent dsintegration of the blocks, and a series of cords passing horizontally through the blocks and having depending forward ends which form tassels to entangle the received shells.

In testimony whereof I hereto aix my signature.

CARLO SERRA. 

